The Itchy And Scratchy Show
NOTE: This article is partially taken by the Simpsons wiki, with a few changes to apply to the different TOS and rules of the wiki. Also, do not add any information about how the Simpsons watch the show (except for points that involve the show itself, like the Itchy & Scratchy Land Opening Day Incident or MargeGate) The Itchy & Scratchy Show is an animated TV show and a segment of The Krusty the Clown Show on Channel 6. The show involves an anthropomorphic psychotic mouse named Itchy killing an anthropomorphic hapless cat named Scratchy for the heck of it. However, there is only one episode where Scratchy kills Itchy. The show contains extreme scenes of graphic violence, like Happy Tree Friends which is more bloody and gruesome in a "cute" way, unlike Tom and Jerry and Spy VS Spy, ''which only contained mild slapstick violence (although the latter uses occasional gore under the penmanship of Peter Kuper). History Main Series Chester Lampwick invented Itchy in the year 1919 and owns the rights to that character. Lampwick was also known as the "father of cartoon violence." Roger Meyers, Sr. (1899–1979) plagiarized Itchy and established Itchy and Scratchy Studios in 1921. Originally Itchy was called "Itchy the Lucky Mouse". He starred in his first cartoon made by Lampwick, "Manhattan Madness". Scratchy starred in his first cartoon in 1928, entitled ''That Happy Cat. The film, which is about fourteen seconds of animation showing the cat walking and whistling, then stopping and tipping his hat, did very poorly. It is someone who created Scratchy, or if he was plagiarized by Meyers Sr. or his dad in the same way that Itchy was. Later that year, Itchy and Scratchy starred in their first cartoon together entitled "Steamboat Itchy". Along with the cartoon shorts, Itchy and Scratchy were featured in a wartime radio series, at least two films - Pinitchio and Scratchtasia, and television commercials for Laramie Cigarettes. An X-rated Itchy & Scratchy titled "Itchy & Scratchy meet Fritz The Cat" was created during the 1970s. According to Comic Book Guy, only bootleg copies are available "because of its frank depiction of sex and narcotic consumption". At one point, additional characters were added to the pair on a show titled Itchy & Scratchy and Friends Hour: Uncle Ant, Disgruntled Goat, Flatulent Fox, Ku Klux Klam, Manic Mailman, Dinner Dog and Rich Uncle Skeleton. These characters parodied the addition of superfluous, two-dimensional characters to TV shows in an effort to draw viewer interest. Itchy and Scratchy Studios is currently run by Roger Meyers, Jr. (born 26 January, 1936), the son of the cartoon's "creator." Itchy and Scratchy Studios was bankrupted after being sued by Lampwick for $800 billion, but was saved after receiving a large cash settlement from the government over its use of Mr. ZIP. The Itchy and Scratchy Show airs as a segment on The Krusty the Clown Show, though it moved to the Gabbo show during the latter's short-lived run.The show underwent a non-violent retooling following a protest campaign led by Marge Simpson, but after Marge was later discredited, it returned to its original violent format. The show has spawned an Academy Award-winning film adaptation, amusement parks, and a musical. The show is animated in South Korea. June Bellamy (a takeoff on the late voice actress June Foray) voices both Itchy and Scratchy. In 1995, the company renamed the studio to Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Studios via their Krustylu studio lot. In recent times with more liberal and feminist viewers, the show was briefly changed to an all girl show to pander to the girl viewers. This of course was rivaled with hate from the former male audience it had and started an all out gender war between the BRA and the BR, each trying to destroy each others episodes. The I&S&P Show Poochie was a dog character added to the Itchy & Scratchy lineup. According to the show's plot, the producers believed the cartoons were getting stale, and needed a new character to reinvigorate the show, despite the objections of one of the show's writers, who "at the risk of sounding pretentious", felt that Itchy and Scratchy comprised "a dramaturgical dyad". Homer Simpson gets the job of voicing Poochie, who is introduced in the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, The Beagle Has Landed. A product of marketing department thinking, Poochie was near-universally despised, and was killed off in his second appearance, to the joy of Bart, Lisa and every other person in Springfield, despite Homer's objections. In spite of this, Poochie has made a few appearances in future episodes, being possibly "revived" and also changing everyone else's minds. Characters Original Show * Itchy (voiced by June Bellamy in series canon; Dan Castellaneta in reality) - One of the main two characters of the show. He is an anthropomorphic mouse, who is constantly attacking his character pairing, Scratchy. Itchy almost always instigates the conflicts and kills Scratchy. In earliest episodes on the Tracy Ulman, Scratchy was trying to kill Itchy as well, but in later episodes, Itchy began to attack and kill a passive Scratchy, without even having a motive. * Scratchy (voiced by June Bellamy in series canon; Harry Shearer in reality) - One of the main two characters of the show. He is an anthropomorphic cat, who is repeatedly killed by Itchy. In the earliest episodes, the two were to the scale of real life cats and mice, with Scratchy trying to kill Itchy as well. But the series quickly established Scratchy as a friendly and demure innocent figure who trusts Itchy. Scratchy almost always meets a very bloody, gruesome fate at the hands of Itchy. Spinoffs * Poochie (voiced by Homer Simpson) - A new character added into the series. Poochie is a very young, hip, laid-back beagle, who is supposed to entertain a younger demographic and bring life back to the show again. However, Poochie ended up being very annoying to the audience as he detracted from the violence, who would be removed and killed off permanently, shortly after his introduction. Episodes See Itchy & Scratchy Episodes Theme Song The opening theme is short and simple, and is sung by high-pitched chipmunk-like voices. The lyrics: "They fight! And bite! They fight and bite and fight! Fight, fight, fight! Bite, bite, bite! The Itchy and Scratchy Show!" The closing theme is much the same, only at a soft tempo and lyrics in the past tense, being sung by a female chorus and accompanied by a soft piano: "They fought! And bit! They fought and fought and bit! Fought, fought, fought! Bit, bit, bit! I''t was The Itchy and Scratchy Show!"'' During MargeGate, the theme song is changed after Marge complaining about the cartoon being too violent. It is in a similar format to the closing theme, but at a faster tempo. The Lyrics: "They love! and share! They share and love and share! Love, Love, Love! Share, share, share! The Itchy and Scratchy show!" Credits Assistant to Mr. Itchy Dee Cappelli Assistant to Mr. Scratchy Jacqueline Atkins Scratchy's Wardrobe Provided by Botany 500 For a transcript of this episode send $25 to this station Assistant Director Alan Smart Storyboard Supervisor Kevin O'Brien Storyboard Jeffrey A. Meyers Martin Archer Dominic Polcino Storyboard Assistant John Rice Character Design Supervisor Dale Hendrickson Character Design Scott Alberts Sean Applegate Matt Groening Sam Simon Background Design Supervisor Lance Wilder Background Design John Krause Maria Mariotti Color Design Supervisor Kim Taylor Color Design Karen Bauer Andrew Brandou Paul Fetler Adriana Galvez Brian Mark Background Producer Adriana Galvez Ink & Paint Supervisor Phyllis Craig Painters Casey Clayton Belle Norman Animation Checkers Merie Weson Jackie Banks Animation Camera Patrick Buchanan Robert Ingram Ted Bemiller Assistant Film Editor Lee Harting Track Reader Broughton-Winicki Character Layout Artists Mike Anderson Tibor Belay Mark Ervin Eric Keyes Jeff LaFlamme Istvan Majores John Mathot Dan Povenmire Sondra S. Roy William Tucker Background Layout Artists John M. Berman Sarah Frost Background Clean-Up Jefferson R. Weekley Animation Timing Neil Affleck George Chialtas Chuck Sheetz Adam Kijhlman Lip Sync Kent Holaday Production Managers Miles Lewis Horst Barbara J. Cordova Post Production Corrdinator Anglea Ousey Production Associates Raymond M. Iacovacci Helen Brennick Laurie D. Templeton Production Designer I.S. Castman